Obama campaign mulls pulling Big Bird ad

CHICAGO, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- The Obama campaign said it was reviewing a "Sesame Street" call to pull an ad mocking Mitt Romney for saying Big Bird typifies useless U.S. government spending.

"The idea was to provoke a discussion and create a little viral activity, and we've done that," David Axelrod, President Barack Obama's senior campaign strategist, told The New York Times.

Sesame Workshop, formerly known as the Children's Television Workshop, said after the campaign ad started running Tuesday it wanted it off the air.

"Sesame Workshop is a non-partisan, non-profit organization and we do not endorse candidates or participate in political campaigns," the organization said in a statement. "We have approved no campaign ads, and as is our general practice, have requested that the ad be taken down."

The spot, which was airing on national cable and broadcast TV during comedy shows, mocks a pledge Romney, the Republican presidential nominee, made in last week's debate to cut funding for the Public Broadcasting Service, even though he said he liked the 8-foot-2 primrose-yellow Big Bird character from "Sesame Street."

It ends by showing Big Bird sitting in a basket and the announcer saying, "Mitt Romney -- taking on our enemies, no matter where they nest."

Romney spokeswoman Amanda Henneberg said: "Four years ago, President Obama said that if you don't have a record to run on, 'you make a big election about small things.' With 23 million people struggling for work, incomes falling, and gas prices soaring, Americans deserve more from their president."

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